"TUF6" runner-up Tommy Speer wins in return in Minnesota

For the first time since back-to-back losses in the UFC, which included a first-round submission loss to Mac Danzig in the show’s live finale, “The Ultimate Fighter 6″ runner-up Tommy Speer (10-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) picked up an MMA victory.

Speer, who left the UFC after a 51-second knockout loss to Anthony Johnson in April, defeated MMA newcomer and former Marines Combatives veteran Joe Julianelle (0-1) this past Saturday.

The MMA/boxing event, dubbed “10-4 Thunder,” took place at Graham Arena at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds in Rochester, Minn.

Speer, fighting at a catch-weight of 180 pounds, simply overwhelmed his opponent and defeated Julianelle with a first-round TKO. The victory took less than a minute.

It was Speer’s first professional victory since May 2007, when he defeated Sidney Silva first-round knockout at WEC 27. That victory pushed Speer’s win streak to five straight (all via stoppage) and helped earned him a ticket onto the sixth season of the UFC’s reality series.

On the show, the 24-year-old defeated Jon Koppenhaver and Ben Saunders, both by unanimous decision, before scoring a knockout of George Sotiropoulos to advance to the show’s live finale against Danzig, a former King of the Cage champion and the cast’s most experienced fighter. After the losses to Danzig and Johnson, Speer was released from his UFC contract so he could compete in smaller shows.

The “10-4 Thunder” card also played host to a victory from former UFC fighter Chad Reiner (19-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC), who defeated Zack Strand (4-2) via TKO. Reiner, who lost to Johnson and Josh Burkman in the UFC, is 6-3 since leaving the organization.

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